Toronto Claims Califf

Toronto FC announced Friday that the club has selected defender Danny Califf in the second stage of the MLS Re-Entry Process and have signed him to a new contact. As per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Danny Califf is a proven defender in our league, and a player with a lot of character. Our defenders are young and we expect Danny to provide important leadership as we change the culture of our team,” said Toronto FC President and General Manager Kevin Payne. “We’re thrilled to have him on our team. We look forward to welcoming him and his family to Toronto.”

Califf, 32, made a combined 23 league appearances with Chivas USA and the Philadelphia Union last season. He has appeared in 207 career matches in Major League Soccer (MLS) spanning nine seasons in the league. He began his career with the LA Galaxy in 2000, after he was selected sixth overall in the MLS SuperDraft from the University of Maryland.

In five seasons with the Galaxy, Califf won the CONCACAF Champions Cup (2000), U.S. Open Cup (2001), MLS Cup and MLS Supporters Shield (2002). Califf was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes ahead of the 2005 season. With San Jose, Califf was named to the MLS Best XI and won the MLS Supporters Shield with the club.

He left MLS to sign with Danish club Aalborg, where he spent two seasons and won the Danish Superliga title during the 2007-08 season. Following the championship campaign he signed with Midtjylland of Denmark and remained with the club until re-joining MLS in 2009. Califf was dealt to the Philadelphia Union ahead of the club’s inaugural season in 2010, after the Union acquired his rights from the Houston Dynamo. He started in all 67 matches he played for the Union before being traded to Chivas USA on May 17, 2012.

Califf earned 23 international caps for the United States. He was part of the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup winning squad, and was a member of the 2003 squad. Califf also played for the U.S. at the 2003 Confederations Cup and the 2007 Copa America.